TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two of Jameis Winston’s Florida State teammates at his code of conduct hearing Tuesday had been expected to offer testimony on Winston’s assertion that he did not sexually assault a female student two years ago.

The players, Chris Casher and Ronald Darby, had witnessed the encounter between Winston and the woman. But after being sworn in, Casher and Darby declined to answer questions, according to a person close to the case.

Winston’s hearing — which is being heard by Major B. Harding, a former Florida Supreme Court chief justice — will continue Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m., and could spill into Thursday. Harding will decide if Winston violated as many as four parts of F.S.U.’s code of conduct, two of which involve sexual activity without consent and creating a hostile environment.

Potential penalties for Winston range from a reprimand to a suspension to expulsion from the university. But given the time frames for the hearing process and possible appeals, Winston will quite possibly not be affected by a ruling until after the Seminoles, who are No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, have completed postseason play.

Tuesday’s hearing was held on campus and lasted five hours. The accuser, who has left F.S.U., was also present, but she and Winston were never in the same room. Winston, the Seminoles’ quarterback, later joined Casher and Darby at football practice, which Coach Jimbo Fisher moved from 3:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., apparently to accommodate the players.

Casher and Darby were part of some legal maneuvering and posturing Tuesday. The university does not have subpoena power, and F.S.U. policy allows students to refuse to answer questions. Winston had previously refused to be interviewed by the police and prosecutors.

Casher and Darby had their own conduct hearings this year for their actions in the case. Casher videotaped the encounter between Winston and the woman but said he erased the video by the time the police questioned him 11 months later. It is a violation of the student code to record a sex act without permission of the participants. Casher was placed on a year’s probation; Darby was cleared.

With possible civil lawsuits looming, the players may have been advised not to testify so as not to contradict earlier statements made in affidavits to the police in Winston’s criminal case.

But Baine Kerr, one of two Title IX lawyers representing the accuser, saw Tuesday’s proceedings as a strong start for his client.

“A year ago, few people thought this day would come,” Kerr said after the hearing. “A Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is finally having to be accountable for his actions. It’s a tremendous day for our client and women’s safety in the United States. We’re very satisfied with how it’s going.”

Winston and the woman are allowed one adviser in the hearing. The lawyers are not allowed to speak on behalf of their clients but are permitted to consult with them. Before the hearing, Winston’s lawyer, David Cornwell, adamantly repeated that Winston did not sexually assault the woman. A dozen or so members of the news media staked out the hearing Tuesday while the rest of F.S.U.’s campus bustled on a sunny day.

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“We intend to end this process today,” Cornwell said in a statement. “Unfortunately, in these type of cases, the only way to confront the lie is with the truth. Jameis will tell the truth today, and we are confident that Justice Harding, when he hears her multiple lies and Jameis’s truth, will find, as every other entity has to this point, that she is lying.”

Kerr and the fellow Title IX lawyer John Clune had already sent out a statement.

“This is the day that Mr. Winston has been desperately trying to avoid for two years,” it read. “This courageous young woman finally gets the chance to stand up for herself and against Mr. Winston and big-time college sports, which has long run over the rights and protection of women on campus.”

It continued, “Neither Jameis Winston nor his lawyer can stop what is coming.”

Harding has 10 days to notify Winston and his accuser of a ruling, according to F.S.U. policy.

A dozen or so witnesses are expected to be called, a person close to the case said. Winston could possibly miss practice time Wednesday — unless Fisher again pushes back practice from the scheduled time of 3:45 p.m. — as the Seminoles prepare for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, set for Saturday night against Georgia Tech.

If F.S.U. beats the Yellow Jackets, the Seminoles are expected to be one of the four teams picked for the College Football Playoff. The national semifinals are Jan. 1, and the championship game is Jan. 12.

Both Winston and the accuser can appeal Harding’s ruling. They have five days after being notified of the decision to respond and file a written appeal.

Tim Jansen, a defense lawyer from Tallahassee who has advised at more than 100 code of conduct hearings at F.S.U., said the process could last a month or two. Jansen represented Winston in his criminal case but is not involved in Winston’s conduct hearing.

“I’ve never seen a ruling in a case like this in two days,” Jansen said. “They usually go up to 7 or 10 days, and then it goes from there.”

He added: “The ultimate person who makes the decision is the president of the university, if he chooses to get involved. No matter what the finding or sanctions are, the president of the university can have the final decision.”

A version of this article appears in print on December 3, 2014, on Page B10 of the New York edition with the headline: 2 Witnesses at Winston Hearing Are Said to Decline to Testify. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe